Team USA Breakdown

[FacePuncher 1,343]

 

Team USA has a bright future, but recently they have had their struggles. Just last World Cup the US failed to win a single game. The team looks much better than last year, and is filled almost exclusively of young talent, but will they be able to rise above last place? This is the squad that @Streetlight put together:

 

FORWARDS

 

Sir William Covington III - @KingRobbie - Covington is the face of Team USA. Last year he made a huge jump from 24th in points to 5th, and second in assists. For the second year in a row Covington will be called upon to center the top line.

 

Jordan Maverick - @Dmoushey_31 - Maverick is a skilled winger who just finished having a career year, but he isn't afraid to wreck some fools. He was the leading scorer on Riga, scoring 80 points, and registering 239 hits. His two way play should prove to be invaluable on the first line.

 

Diana Maxwell - @Streetlight - This girl is on fire, and while she didn't have the best rookie year, she is a big piece to the Team USA rebuild. The S49 first overall pick led the Stockholm Vikings in scoring and was just one goal shy of notching 30 in her first season. Maxwell will be using her sniping abilities on USA's first line.

 

Kai Roberts - @Da Trifecta - Kai Roberts had a pretty solid rookie season, but he was not pleased by his own performance. He put in work during the offseason, focusing his physical game into scoring, and added 12 extra points onto last year's total. Him and his 57.05% Faceoff percentage should put him as the center on the second line.

 

Travis Gowecny - @eaglesfan036 - Gowecny did some solid work putting together a nice 54 point campaign. He is definitely a score first player, as he registered only 5 hits and 14 shot blocks(though he did get into 2 fights). Gowecny is naturally a center, but his faceoffs need some work, so he will spend this World Cup as a second line winger.

 

AK47 - @701 - This goalie-turned-center(one of two on Seattle) has turned into a pure power forward. AK tallied 26 goals with his booming slap shot and delivered 259 crushing body checks. AK tied for 2nd in penalty minutes, so if you love rough hockey, you're definitely going to want to see him play on the second line this World Cup

 

DEFENSEMEN

 

Titan Kronos - @Evans - Titan Kronos, a pledged Riga for lifer, took a little bit of a step back in his sophomore campaign. The S48/S49 draftee dropped his hit totals, but he did score 2 more points on an improving Riga squad. He should be an important piece of the Reign, as well as Team USA on the top pairing.

 

Shayne Gow - @flyersfan1493 - The second Gow on this list has come a long way. After a decent VHLM career, many people, thought that Shayne would be a slow developer, so sports analysts were shocked when he finished second among rookies in scoring and posted over 100 blocks. Team USA was so impressed that he got a spot on the team's first defensive pairing.

 

Chuck Goody - @Nike - The oldest player on this list and the only one who won't be eligible for the team next year, Goody showed his age, declining in almost every category in his final season. He will hope to end his career with a bang on the second defensive pairing.

 

Zach Voss - @STLZACH - You know your national team is still developing when a player like Zach Voss is on it. Voss had been a no name free agent ever since his VHLM contract ran out, but he was given a shot by the New York Americans for the final 23 games on the season, garnering 8 assists. He will round out the second defensive pair

 

GOALIES

 

Apollo Skye - @Velevra - The first pick in the S50 VHLM draft and the projected first pick in the S51 VHL draft, Skye had an incredible year in the minors. He got 18 shutouts and led the league with a .927 Save Percentage, .017 more than second place. He is a godsend for Team USA, and should fill the role of starting goalie for years to come.

 

Ryan Price - @GreatOneHimself - Price has finally gotten up to the big show for a while. In S49 he was signed by Stockholm at the end of the season. He went 5-11-0, and while his .901 Save Percentage wasn't great, it was better than Ilya Kopralkov. In S50 he was signed by New York, once again late in the season, but this time he wasn't used, a slap in the face by the Americans GM. Price will be the backup for Team USA, but he is hoping to get some action after sitting out all of S50